TROUBLESOME INVADERS. 219 



not very frequently disturbed in this part. The Kaffirs 

 near the river frequently suffered very much from the 

 depredations of this game, corn-gardens being sometimes 

 nearly destroyed and trodden down by the sea-cow during 

 one night. Other animals also persecuted these unfor- 

 tunate people. A herd of elephants might quietly walk 

 through their fences some night, with the same ease 

 as though the barricades were cobwebs, crush to the 

 ground the nearly ripe crop, and leave the whole Kaffir 

 village with but a poor chance of obtaining a winter 

 supply of corn. These Kaffirs were rarely possessed of a 

 gun, and did not like to venture too near these savage 

 intruders ; and the shouting and beating of shields did not 

 always produce the desired effect on the elephants. 

 Sometimes a venturesome Kaffir would get himself 

 smashed by attempting to drive away a savage troop, 

 and this would act as a warning to other Kaffirs; and 

 they therefore frequently preferred being pillaged to being 

 squashed. Sometimes a party of bucks will get the habit 

 of sneaking into the corn of a night, when it is green and 

 young, and will enjoy a good feed at the expense of the 

 kraaFs crop of mealeas. 



The worst visitation, however, is a flight of locusts; and no 

 idea can be formed of the destruction which these creatures 

 will accomplish in even a couple of hours. I saw several 

 heavy flights during my residence at Natal, the heaviest 

 of which came upon the country at the back of the Berea, 

 and extended about four miles inland. I can only com- 

 pare its appearance to that of a heavy fall of snow, where 

 each flake is represented by a locust. My horse would 



